Electrical connecter



Jan. 31, 1928.

1,657,933 W. E. LINDSLEY ELECTRICAL CONNECTER ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 31,1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. LINDSLEY, OIF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER.

Application led- February 15, 1927. Serial No. 168,344.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of means foreffecting a good and secure electrical connection between a pair ofwires.

The invention is particularly concerned with the twisting together of apair of electrical conductors in such a manner that a good electricalcontactv is established between them, and the connected twisted por- ]0tions of the wires are entirely protected and concealed.

A further object is to provide means for making an electrical connectionof this kind in such a manner that there is no danger of the wiresbecoming untwisted, and no danger of fouling the contact thus made, eventhough the connecter be located in an exposed position where it issubjected to the l action of rain and snow.

Other objects of the invention are to pro-v vide an electricalconnecting device by which two wires may be connected together withexpedition and facility, and a connecting device of simple, .practicalconstruction which will be rugged, durable and efficient in use, andwell suited to the requirements of economical manufacture.

With the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consistsin certain :i0 novel features of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth andpointed out in the claims. The invention' may bc more fully understoodfrom the following description in connection with thc accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Fig. 1'is a longitudinal sectional View through adouble electrical connecter embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end View thereof with parts broken away and in section forthe sake of clearness.

It is to be understood at the outset that lthe electrical connecters ofthe present invention may be made as individual units. or may be in thenature of a multiplicity of units rigidly or integrally connectedtogether. For the sake of iliustration I have shown a double unitconnecter consisting of a single block 10 of insulating material havingtwo sockets 11 therein coactmg with two plugs 11 which screw into thesockets. Each ysocket plug and associated mechanism consists of acomplete electrical connecter unit, and the block 10 might be providedwith a single socket or with any number of sockets for the reception ofassociated plugs in accordance with the particular use to which theconnecter is to be put, yand the particular number of wires to beconnected.

Each of the sockets 11 includes an outer threaded portion 12 and aninner, prefer ably unthreaded chamber portion l2a within which the twowires to be connected, designated at 13 and 14 are twisted together.

A restricted bore l5 extends from the bottom of the socket 11 through anipple 16 integral with the end of the block 10. The bore 15 is enlargedand shouldered at 17 for the reception of insulation 18 of the wire 14,the4 wire from the shoulder on being strlpped. The wire 14 is insertedthrough the nipple 16 until the insulation 18 abuts the shoulder 17 thestripped end of the wire extending through and beyond the socket 11. Thewire as it is inserted through the bore 15 is passed through a cap 19which is subsequently screwed on to the threaded nipple 16 and clamps arubber gasket 20 against the outer-face of the nipple to seal theconnecter against any leakage through the passageway 15 and incidentallyto retain the wire 14 against retractive movement.

The plug 11a is formed with a reduced threaded extension 21 adapted tobe screwed into the threaded portion 12 of the socket 11. The shoulderdefined by thethreaded extension 21 may be faced with any suitablematerial at 22 to provide a wear surface which engages the end face 23of the block 10 when the plug 11a is screwed home. The plug is formedwith a longitudinally 'extending socket 24 having a iared mouth 25 forthe reception of the end of the wire 14 which projects out of the socketl1. The plug is also formed with a shouldered bore 26 corresponding withthe bore 15 and with a nipple 27 and cap 28 for retaining and sealingthe wire 13 which is introduced through the bore 26 and adapted to enteran aligned reduced socket 29 communicatingA with the socket 11 andhaving a flaring mouth 30 to guide the end of the wire 13 into place.

The upper connecter unit of Fig. 1 has been shown disassembled with thetwo wires 13 and 14 secured in the plug lland the block 10 respectively.It will be seen that as the plug isuadvanced toward the block,`

the ends of the wire 14 and 13 will enter their respective sockets 24and 29 before the reduced extension 21 reaches the threaded portion 12of the socket 11. Passageway 15 and its aligned socket 24, vandpassageway 26 and its ali ned socket 29 are arranged on opposite si esof the aligned central longitudinal axis of the socket 11 and the plugextension 21.which screws into the socket. Thus, when the plug isscrewed home, the ends of the wires 13 and 14 will be twisted togetherin the inner unthreaded'chamber portion 12a of the socket 11. The lowerconnecter unit of Fig. 1, has been shown withf the plug screwedcompletely home, and the twist formed in the wire.

Screwing home of the plug may to' a certain extent tend to withdraw theends of the wire 13 and 14 from-their respective sockets 29 and 24, butsuch retractive tendency will be slight'since it will be' rememberedthat the extension-21 is continuously.

shortening the distance between-.bores 15, 26

and cooperating sockets 24, y29 as' it isscrewed home. n

Preferably some meansv is provided for retaining the plug 11a againstaccidental retrograde turning movement after-the twist has been made inthe wire by screwing the plug home. This means has been `illustrated asa spring pawl secured to the block 10 and cooperating with ratchet teeth36 on the periphery of. the plug 11a. l f

With the plug screwed home. and held against retrograde'movement bytheratchet and pawl mechanism, there is no danger of the wire ends becomingaccidentally un' twisted, and there is no dangerof moisture enteringLthe connecter and effecting the twisted connection due to the presenceof the sealing caps 19, 28 and the presence of' 'the wear plate 22 whichmay also be in the and the bloc nature of a sealing device. n

The blocks 10 may be molded, cast, or machined of an desired insulatingmaterial, may' be made in single or multiple units as will be readilunderstood.

AThe particular unit illustrate is a double unit, but. even with half ofthe block 10 'cut away there will be provided an elec-` trical connectindevice constructed in accordance with t einvention.

Obviously, various changes and alterations might be made in the generalform and arrangement of parts described without departing from theinvention. vHence I do not wish to limit myself to the details setforth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such: changes andalterations as fairly fall within the spirit and-scope of v the appendedclaims.

I claim: l 1. Anl electrical connecter including a body having a sockettherein, the` mouth of which is threaded, said body having a pas sagewaytherein through ,which a wire is adapted to be. inserted with its endextending through and beyond the socket, a plug member ladapted to bescrewed intov the threaded mouth of the socket and having a passagewaytherein through which a second wire is adapted to be passed into thesocket,

means associated with said plug for slid-- ab-ly receiving the end ofthe wire passed through the body, and means associated with the body forslidably receiving the end orl the wire passed through the plug,

said passageways being disposed laterally of the common longitudinalaxes of the plug and socket, whereby screwing the plug home eifectstwisting of the two ends of wire together within the inner end of thesocket.

2. An electrical connecter including a body having a socket therein, themouth of lwhich is threaded, said body having a passageway thereinthrough .which a wire is adapted to be inserted with its end extendingthrough and beyond the socket, a plug member adapted to'be screwed intothe threaded mouth of the socket and having a passage- 'way thereinthrough which a second wire is adapted tov be passed into the socket,means associated `with said plug for slidably receiving t-he end of thewire passed through the body, and means associated \with 'the vbody forslidably receiving the end ofthe so f wire passed through the plug, saidpassageways beingdisposed laterally of the common longitudinal axes ofthe plug and socket, whereby screwing the y plu home leffects twistingof-the two ends o wire together within the inner end of the socket, themeans for slidably receiving the wire ends comprising vpockets inthebody and plug adapted to be aligned with the wire passageways beforethe plug is screwed home.

3. An electrical connecter including a body having a socket therein, themouth of which is threaded, said body having a passagewayjthereinthrough which-a wire is adapted to be inserted with its end extendingthrough and beyond the socket,a plug member adapted to be screwed intothe threaded mouthvof the socket and having a passageway therein throughwhich a second fects twisting of the. two ends of wire together withinthe inner end of the socket', and means for reventing accidentalunscrewing of the p ug.L l

4. A device as described in claim 3, and wherein said last mentionedmeans com'- prises ratchet teeth on the plug and a coacting ypawlcarried by the body.

5. A device 'set .forth in claim 1, and

lao

-ends ofthe pasaeways. 'm body having a socket therein, the mouth ofvwhich is.. threaded, said body having a passageway therein vthroughwhich a wire is adapted to be inserted with its end extending throughand beyondithe socket, a plug member adapted -to ,be screwedA into thethreaded mouth of the socket and having a passageway therein throughwhich a second wire is adapted to be passed into the with the bodysocket, means associated with said plug for Islidabl receiving the endof the wire passed throng the body, and means associated n electricalconnecter including a' for slidably receiving the Aend of. thewlrepassed'through the plug',

said passageways being disposed laterally of the common longitudinalaxes of the plug and socket, whereby screwing the plug home effectstwisting` of the two ends 0i?v wire together within the inner end of thesocket, the means for slidably receiving the wire ends comprisingpockets in the body and plug adapted to be aligned with the wirepassageways before the plug is screwed home, said'pockets having Haringwire guid-- ing mouths.

8. An electrical 'connecter including a pair of connected membersrelatively rotatable about a common axis and cooperatively definingachamber between them, each of said.

members having a pair of wire receiving passageways therein adapted tobe aligned with the corresponding passageways of the opposite member,whereby when the ends ot' two wires have been passed through the alignedpassageways, relative rota-tion of the members will effect twisting ofthe wires together in the chamber.

` WILLIAM E. LINDSLEY.

